25 Jul Social Media for Recruiting [guest post]
This post comes from freelance writer Lynn Thompson. Lynn is interested in the alternative ways in which brands can capitalize on social media, as evident by this post exploring recruitment.
With the advent and rise of social media, making connections has taken on a whole new meaning in both personal and professional arenas. The job seekers of today’s Millennial Generation are technologically savvy and will turn to social media over most other options to locate their next employer.
Smart businesses know their recruiting strategies must now involve the use of social media sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+ and Twitter to find qualified employees.
Benefits of Social Recruiting
This “social recruiting,” as it has come to be known, is much more than just listing open jobs. It involves building relationships with job seekers as well as creating and engaging interest in a business for today and beyond.
There are many benefits to social recruiting, but the best two are lower recruiting costs and an ever-expanding talent network. Social media sites are free, and most have no restrictions on how many jobs can be posted.
A well-maintained social media site, such as the Hallmark Facebook page, will keep people coming back and also recommending the site to their friends. The more visitors, the larger is the pool of potential employees.
The DynCorp LinkedIn and Panasonic LinkedIn sites let candidates see job openings, learn more about the company, and reach out directly to company representatives for more information. This gives the company an early look at a potential employee.
While LinkedIn is one of the best sites for recruiting as it is currently the largest professional network in the world, it is also possible to set up special pages on Facebook or other sites that focus on posting jobs.
With Twitter, it can be as simple as sending out a Tweet with the job description. The Dell Twitter feed shows how dialog can begin between a company and its would-be workers.
A Blend of Old and New
Although recruiting through social media sounds easy, some strategy is still required. Companies using this method first need to decide whether or not the candidates you seek can be found through social recruiting. Then you need to determine which sites will generate the most candidates. And as with traditional recruiting, companies must know their target audience and structure their advertising approach to attract the best-qualified applicants.
For today’s job seekers, social media is fast becoming the primary place to search for a job and learn about a potential employer. Savvy businesses will be right there waiting for them!
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